[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 66 (Friday, April 16, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E411-E412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF SHIRLEE LAFLEUR

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FREDERICA S. WILSON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 16, 2021

  Ms. WILSON of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
life and legacy of Shirlee Lafleur a beloved mother, wife, daughter, 
sister, friend, a community leader in South Florida, and a longtime 
member of my staff.
  Shirlee Moreau was born on November 10, 1969, in Miami Beach, Florida 
to Eugenie V. Moreau and Avenant Moreau, Sr. She was the second of 
three children born to this union.
  Shirlee found her true purpose in life on January 26, 2002, when she 
laid the foundation for one of the most beautiful and God-blessed 
families by marrying Pierre Paul Lafleur. Their love produced two 
talented and amazing daughters, Amanda and Samantha around whom they 
centered their lives, and who like their parents excel in the classroom 
and in the many activities in which they take part. While Shirlee was 
dedicated to helping others, she was even more devoted to her two 
blessings from God, always glowing and excited when talking about them.
  God touched Shirlee in a very special way and she, in turn, touched 
the lives of so many others. A faithful member of Antioch Missionary 
Baptist Church, led by Reverend Arthur Jackson, III., she was very 
proud of her membership and was not shy about inviting others to find 
solace in the bosom of Christ. Shirlee had a very close and personal 
relationship with Christ. Her faith was grounded in belief in Psalm 
18:2, ``The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, 
my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my 
salvation, and my high tower.''
  Shirlee was especially proud of her American and Haitian heritage. 
She fought tirelessly for the rights and well-being of Haitians 
throughout the diaspora and was an unparalleled leader in the Haitian 
community and at the forefront of immigration issues, given Miami's 
unofficial status as the second capital of Haiti due to its large 
concentration of people of Haitian heritage. It was her Haitian roots 
and strong cultural beliefs in the importance of faith, family, and 
friends instilled in her by her mother, Eugenie Moreau, that made her 
such a dogged advocate for others.
  Shirlee was an outstanding student at North Miami High School. 
Although she was quiet, she was well liked for her friendly nature and 
helpful attitude that would become the trademark of her life. As a 
flagette of the North Miami marching band, she began to blossom into 
the social butterfly that she would later become.
  After graduating from high school, Shirlee continued to excel 
academically earning a degree in business administration from Florida 
International University. Even more impressive, Shirlee worked while in 
college to support herself, which is indicative of her independent 
spirit. Upon graduation, she developed what initially began as an 
internship into a permanent supervisory position with Dade's Team 
Metro. She was a natural for the position which required her to help 
Miami Dade residents resolve often complex issues with county services.
  In 1998, she elevated her burgeoning career in public service by 
accepting a position as a legislative assistant in the office of then-
Florida State Senator Kendrick B. Meek. Shirlee's commitment to helping 
her community shone even brighter as a member of Senator Meek's staff 
and she continued to be one of his most trusted staff members when he 
ascended to the United States House of Representatives.
  Shirlee played a prominent role in several incidents that made 
national and international headlines. She was the central cog to many 
of the life-changing efforts that the congressional office undertook 
during her tenure. She was integral in helping to facilitate the 
efforts to liberate the nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls, known as the 
Chibok Girls, kidnapped by Boko Haram as part of the international 
#BringBackOurGirls campaign that I had pledged to wage until all of the 
girls are returned home. Shirlee helped coordinate documentation and 
travel for several of the girls who escaped their captors to find safe 
havens and a brighter future in the United States.
  This effort was not the exception, but the norm. She worked through 
the night many times to stave off a deportation of parents who were 
casualties of a sometimes-harsh immigration system. Families were 
reunited and their stories made headlines, but Shirlee, a central 
figure in turning miraculous efforts into reality, was soon on to the 
next challenge within only a few minutes. Without exaggeration, her 
work has saved the lives of thousands who have sought refuge in our 
great nation.
  In one of the rare times she was unable to avoid the spotlight, she 
was recognized in a May 2013 Miami Herald article for organizing an 
eleventh-hour effort to prevent a father from being ripped from his 
family and deported to Mexico. When an 18-year-old asked at a town hall 
meeting if there was anything that could be done to save his father who 
was set to be deported at 4 a.m. the following morning, I was initially 
stunned by the short window within which there was to work, but knew 
that if anyone could keep this family together, Shirlee could. Needless 
to say, she did and as the article noted as a true testament to her 
commitment, ``Shirlee Lafleur called everyone.''

[[Page E412]]

  Beyond immigration, Shirlee helped save the homes of countless 
families in South Florida and staved off evictions and foreclosures by 
connecting families with services that were able to provide the help 
they needed. Most telling of Shirlee's ability, is that many of the 
resources that she connected families with were not on the federal 
level. She was so well respected and her assistance so trusted and 
valued that many people turned to her first to connect them with the 
appropriate local agency, knowing she would follow up to make sure 
their issue had been resolved.
  Shirlee was a congressional staffer for more than two decades and her 
loss has created a major void. The thousands of lives that she has 
touched and the even more connections she has made will remain a 
testament to the erstwhile presence of a one-in-a-million personality. 
Shirlee was a champion for teachers, seniors, workers, and the most 
vulnerable members of our community.
  Shirlee transitioned into the presence of God on March 22, 2021. She 
leaves to cherish her fond memories, her devoted husband, Pierre 
Lafleur, beautiful daughters, Amanda and Samantha, father, Avenant 
Moreau, Sr., mother, Eugenie Moreau, brother, Avenant Moreau, Jr., 
sister, Mirlanda M. Russ (Travelis), sister-in-law, Marie J. Pyram, 
nephews, Christien A. Moreau and Gabriel R. Allende, nieces, Nathalie 
and Justina Pyram, and great-niece, Skylyn G. Allende, countless 
extended family and friends, and thousands of others upon whose lives 
she made a positive impact.
  Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring Ms. Shirlee Moreau Lafleur 
for all that she has done for our community and the lives of the many 
she has touched.

                          ____________________